Chap 7

Geotechnical Engineering
(Soil Mechanics)
1
Chapter Seven
• Permeability
Mododi,
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 9th Edition, Braja M. Das
Fall 1402
2 7.1 Introduction
 The key physical property that governs the flow of water in

soils is permeability also called hydraulic conductivity.
 Permeability is the measure of the soil’s ability to permit water
to flow through its pores or voids
Various
Hydraulic
conditions
Pumping
Earth
water for Stability of
retaining
Underground earth dam
structures
construction
Mododi,
Fall 1402
3 7.2 Bernoulli’s Equation
 From fluid mechanics, the total head at a point in flowing

water is;
𝑢 𝑣2
ℎ= + + 𝑍
𝛾𝑤 2𝑔
Elevation Head
Velocity Head
Pressure Head
 If the equation is applied to porous soil the velocity head is

𝑢
neglected ℎ = 𝛾 + 𝑍
𝑤
Mododi,
Fall 1402
 The levels to which water rises in the piezometer tubes situated
at points A and B are known as the piezometric levels of points
A and B.
 The loss of head between
points A and B is;
 Δℎ can be expressed in the

form of hydraulic gradient, 𝑖,
Δℎ
𝑖= 𝐿
Mododi,
Fall 1402
 In general the variation of the velocity 𝑣 with the hydraulic

gradient 𝑖 is as shown
 Laminar flow zone (zone I)
 Transition zone (zone II)
 Turbulent flow zone (zone III)
 In most soils, the flow of

water can be laminar, thus
𝑣∝𝑖
 The above expression is not
valid for fractured rock,
gravels, and course sands
Mododi,
Fall 1402
6 7.3 Darcy’s Law
 In 1856, Darcy published a simple equation for the discharge

velocity of water through saturated soils,
𝑣 = 𝑘𝑖
 𝑣—discharge velocity, which is the quantity of water flowing in unit
time through a unit gross cross-sectional area of soil at right angles
to the flow direction
 𝑘—hydraulic conductivity (also know as coefficient of permeability)
 𝑖—hydraulic gradient
 Both the Bernoulli and Darcy’s equations are valid for laminar
flow conditions, and applicable for a wide range of soils.
Mododi,
Fall 1402
7 7.3 Darcy’s Law
 The actual velocity of water (seepage velocity) through the

void spaces is greater than 𝑣, discharge velocity.
 A relationship between discharge velocity and seepage
velocity can be derived as;
𝑞 = 𝑣𝐴 = 𝐴𝑣 𝑣𝑠
Mododi,
Fall 1402
8 7.3 Darcy’s Law
 𝑣𝑠 —seepage velocity
 𝐴𝑣 —area of void
 𝐴𝑠 —area of solid in the cross section
Mododi,
Fall 1402
9 7.4 Hydraulic Conductivity
 Hydraulic conductivity is generally expressed in 𝑐𝑚/sec, 𝑚/sec, 𝑓𝑡

/min or 𝑓𝑡/𝑑𝑎𝑦. It depends of several factors
 Soil type: coarse grain have higher permeability than fine grain soils.
 Particle size: permeability depends on 𝐷50
2
and 𝐷10
2
 Pore fluid properties: particularly viscosity 𝑘1 : 𝑘2 ≈ 𝜇2 : 𝜇1

 Void ratio: 𝑘1 : 𝑘2 ≈ 𝑒12 : 𝑒22 used to compare permeability of similar soils.
Two soils with the same void ratio can have different permeability
 Pore size: the greater interconnected pore spaces, the higher the
hydraulic conductivity.
 Homogeneity, layering, and fissuring: water tends to seep quickly
through loose layers, fissures and along interface of layered soils
 Entrapped gases: Entrapped gases tend to reduce permeability
Mododi,
Fall 1402
 Some typical ranges of 𝑘 for various types of saturated soils

are given in table
Mododi,
Fall 1402
 The hydraulic conductivity of a soil is also related to the

properties of the fluid flowing through it by the equation
𝛾𝑤
𝑘= 𝐾
𝜂
 𝜂–viscosity of water
 𝐾 —absolute permeability (in units of 𝑐𝑚2 , 𝑓𝑡 2 …)
 The equation shows that the hydraulic conductivity is also a
function of unit weight of water and its viscosity, which is in
turn a function of the temperature at which the test is
conducted.
𝜂 𝑇°𝐶
𝑘20°𝐶 = 𝑘 𝑇°𝐶
𝜂20°𝐶
Mododi,
Fall 1402
𝜂𝑇°𝐶
 The variation of with the test temperature 𝑇 varying from
𝜂20°𝐶
15— 30°𝐶 is given in table
Mododi,
Fall 1402
13 7.5 Lab. Determination of Permeability
 Two standard laboratory tests

are used to determine the
hydraulic conductivities of soil
 The constant-head test and
 The falling-head test
Mododi,
Fall 1402
Constant-head Test
14
𝑄𝐿
𝑘=
𝐴ℎ𝑡
• 𝑄—volume of water collected at time 𝑡

• 𝑡—duration of water collection
• 𝐴—cross-section area of soil specimen
Mododi,
Fall 1402
Falling-head Test
15
𝑎𝐿 ℎ1
𝑘 = 2.303 log
𝐴𝑡 ℎ2
• 𝑞—flow rate
• 𝑎—cross-section area of stand pipe
• ℎ1 —initial head at time 𝑡 = 0
• ℎ2 —final head at time 𝑡 = 𝑡2
Mododi,
Fall 1402
16
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Fall 1402
17
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Fall 1402
18
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Fall 1402
19
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Fall 1402
20
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Fall 1402
21
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Fall 1402
22
Mododi,
Fall 1402
23 7.8 Directional Variation of Permeability
 Most soils are not isotropic with respect to permeability

 The magnitude of k changes with respect to the direction of flow
 There are several published results for fine-grained soils that show
the ratio of 𝑘𝐻 /𝑘𝑉 may vary over a wide range
Mododi,
Fall 1402
24 7.9 Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity
in Stratified Soil
 In a stratiﬁed soil deposit where the hydraulic conductivity for ﬂow
in a given direction changes from layer to layer, an equivalent
hydraulic conductivity can be computed to simplify calculations
Mododi,
Fall 1402
25 7.9 Equivalent Hydraulic Conductivity
in Stratified Soil
1
𝑘𝐻(𝑒𝑞) = (𝑘𝐻1 𝐻1 + 𝑘𝐻2 𝐻2 + 𝑘𝐻3 𝐻3 + ⋯ + 𝑘𝐻𝑛 𝐻𝑛 )
𝐻
𝐻
𝑘𝑉(𝑒𝑞) =
𝐻1 𝐻2 𝐻3 𝐻𝑛
+ + + ⋯+
𝑘𝑉1 𝑘𝑉2 𝑘𝑉3 𝑘𝑉𝑛
 𝑘𝐻(𝑒𝑞) --equivalent horizontal permeability

 𝑘𝑉(𝑒𝑞) --equivalent vertical permeability
Mododi,
Fall 1402
26
27
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Fall 1402
28
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Fall 1402
29
Mododi,
Fall 1402
30 7.14 Summary
 Darcy’s law and definition of hydraulic conductivity

 Laboratory determination for 𝑘 and empirical relations for it
 The field determination of 𝑘
 Directional variation of hydraulic conductivity
 Equivalent hydraulic conductivity
Mododi,
Fall 1402
31 Assignments
 Read all of Chapter 7

 Do the Problems: 7.2, 7.3, 7.6, 7.7, 7.21
Mododi,
Fall 1402

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Geotechnical Engineering

 The key physical property that governs the flow of water in

 From fluid mechanics, the total head at a point in flowing

 If the equation is applied to porous soil the velocity head is

 Δℎ can be expressed in the

 In general the variation of the velocity 𝑣 with the hydraulic

 In most soils, the flow of

 In 1856, Darcy published a simple equation for the discharge

 The actual velocity of water (seepage velocity) through the

 Hydraulic conductivity is generally expressed in 𝑐𝑚/sec, 𝑚/sec, 𝑓𝑡

 Pore fluid properties: particularly viscosity 𝑘1 : 𝑘2 ≈ 𝜇2 : 𝜇1

 Some typical ranges of 𝑘 for various types of saturated soils

 The hydraulic conductivity of a soil is also related to the

 Two standard laboratory tests

• 𝑄—volume of water collected at time 𝑡

 Most soils are not isotropic with respect to permeability

 𝑘𝐻(𝑒𝑞) --equivalent horizontal permeability

 Darcy’s law and definition of hydraulic conductivity

 Read all of Chapter 7

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